There's been a lot of discussion, well ever since he returned from his excursion just about how closely Shota apes other important NJPW figures, from Tana to Naito to Moxley. More than just that, I feel the characterisation of Shota feels well incredibly hollow to the fan servicey entrances shaking hands and kissing babies, to the big Wrestle Kingdom entrances on that ridiculous road bike. Shota Umino comes across as a young man who really doesn't know who he is or what he wants to be, if he's the roughneck could we not get him a Kawaski sportbike and some grimey gear to ride in on. Equally, if he's the shiny highlighter colour ace, the current ring gear doesn't scream ace of the company as either heel or face and just having him shove red shoes and cheat a bit won't solve.
At the start of 2025 I've watched a fair bit of NOAH and have been fascinated by the meteoric rise of OZAWA. A wrestler shaped not in the arse kickers of the past from Misawa to Kobahshi or even more contemporary names like Go Shiozaki, OZAWA seems to be massively influenced by Naito, Hiromu and Ibushi. Rather than suffer from Shota's problem though of feeling like a poor copy he feels like a natural progression from those wrestlers as he's combined it with his own flair and personality.
If Shota is to ever ascend and truly be accepted in the eyes of the fans, whether that may be heel or face, he needs to desperately find himself and display something that's uniquely him.
by 2muchket